"Our sympathies go out to all of his family and relatives," West Jefferson Hills School District Superintendent Dr. John P. Lozosky said Friday in reaction to the death of Pvt. Steven Freund.Daily News -- The Pleasant Hills community is grieving the loss of one of its own, with plans under way for the funeral of a Marine killed in action in Iraq.
"Our sympathies go out to all of his family and relatives," West Jefferson Hills School District Superintendent Dr. John P. Lozosky said Friday in reaction to the death of Pvt. Steven Freund.
"Pvt. Freund's death is especially poignant this weekend as we pause as a nation to honor the memory of all those who have died in the service of their country. We take a special opportunity to honor the Freund family's loss this weekend in a special way in our thoughts and prayers."
Family members said Freund, 20, and another Marine were killed Tuesday when a roadside bomb targeted the Humvee they were riding near Fallujah, Iraq. Freund reportedly had been injured in a previous roadside bombing.
"He said he was glad to be doing what he was doing and that it was bringing freedom to us as well," his aunt Donna Eiben said Wednesday.
Freund attended Thomas Jefferson High School through his junior year but reportedly later obtained a General Educational Development diploma. His picture appears in the school's 2004 yearbook.
"We offered a moment of silence here and read a poem, 'A Hero,' by Nicola Burkett," Thomas Jefferson Principal Dr. Bart Rocco said Friday.
The poem reads in part, "A hero thinks of others before they think of themselves. A hero is courageous, loving and brave. Heroes are angels in disguise, saving precious innocent lives."
The Web site myspace.com included a page maintained by Freund, who also was known by friends as "Spaz."
"My favorite kind of music is country," Freund wrote. "The old stuff, the good stuff. I'm also big on classic rock. I can't stand rap or hip-hop or whatever ... you call it these days. I'm also a big movie buff."
The Web page also noted that "Spaz" was single; born under the sign of Scorpio; drank but did not smoke; and hoped to have children some day. His last login to that page was on April 28.
Staffers at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home said Friday that the military has given no time frame as for when Freund's body will be returned to the U.S. They said they are waiting to hear from the military before making arrangements for the Pleasant Hills resident's last rites.
Marine Corps officials could not be reached for comment Friday. Corps headquarters at Quantico, Va., closed early for the Memorial Day weekend.
It was not known what might be said about Freund's passing at community Memorial Day observances Monday. A community observance is scheduled at 11 a.m. in the veterans' section of Jefferson Memorial Cemetery.